Meet a Buckeye: F Natalie Spooner

Monday

Nov 28, 2011 at 12:01 AMDec 1, 2011 at 3:07 PM

Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch

Natalie Spooner showed up at a Chiller men's C-League recreation league this summer and showed the boys how to play hockey. The Ohio State senior forward could score pretty much any time she wanted, but saved some shots for the Buckeyes. This week, the affable Spooner, from Scarborough, Ontario, showed she knows how to play against the gals, too. After scoring all four goals in OSU's 4-1 win over Minnesota Duluth last Friday, Spooner was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and eighth time in her career.

Q: I hear you were a men's C-level stud?

A: I scored when I had to.

Q: Was it the first time you've played against men?

A: When I was really, really little I played a year of boys and quit hockey and went to skating schools. I got into girls hockey at age 5 or 6. I have three older brothers I played hockey with a lot. They helped me get to where I am now. One older brother (Richard) played at Wisconsin and one (Douglas) at Waterloo, which is a school in Ontario.

Q: Were your parents big hockey fans?

A: No, they (Peter and Ann-Marie) actually are from England and didn't know anything about hockey. My dad signed my brother up for soccer and during the offseason his soccer friends would play hockey, so that's how we got into hockey.

Q: You were born in Canada, but did you ever have a British accent because of your parents?

A: Not really. Some people say there are a few words I say (funny). My mom is from Scotland.

Q: Can we hear a little Scottish?

A: No, no.

Q: What about English? Something like, "We've got to grind it out tonight."

A: (laughing). No, I have no Irish. I normally can't do an Irish accent at all.

Q: Are you the joker on the OSU team?

A: I don't joke a lot, but I like to laugh a lot.

Q: How did you end up at Ohio State?

A: I came on a visit and ended up really liking it. Then I came back on my official visit and liked it even more. I liked the big school and atmosphere, and how everyone is behind the school. And I liked the girls on the team.

Q: What's your major?

A: Nutrition pre-med. Hopefully, I'll go to med school at some point, but I'm going to take a few years off to play hockey. There's a Canadian women's hockey league, and hopefully I'll be there for the Olympics. (2014 in Sochi, Russia)

Q: What's appealing about medicine?

A: I've always been interested in the sciences, and I think the human body is kind of neat. To fix it.

Q: You're in hockey, so I assume you can handle seeing blood. Have you ever been bloodied on the ice?

A: When I was an instructor, we were playing with these orange balls and a kid shot it right into my face. It almost knocked a tooth out. I also broke my jaw before. I had my cage on. I blocked a shot with my face.

Q: With your face?

A: It got under the cage. I thought my teeth were all falling out at first.

Q: You don't have a lot of free time, but what do you like to do away from the rink?

A: Hang out with my family when they come down to visit. And shop a lot. For clothes.

Q: High tastes, or Goodwill?

A: lululemon. It's a Canadian store, but they're coming into the U.S. now. It's like yoga clothes. Comfy clothes.

Q: Do you do yoga? It's trendy, right?

A: I like it for my stretching. Two summers ago I did a lot of hot yoga; it's called Bikram yoga, where it's like 100-something degrees in this room. You lay there and start stretching. You sweat profusely. It's good for your body. Like working out in a sauna.

Q: Anything else you enjoy outside of hockey?

A: I like to sing. I'm not very good but I enjoy it. I like Glee. We all sing as a (hockey) team, in the locker room.

Q: Do you think there will ever be a female version of the NHL?

A: I sure hope so. I hope it gets that popular and keeps developing to where people would want to watch it on that scale.

Q: Are there enough women to make it work?

A: If women were given the opportunity to have it as a job and not just a hobby, when you graduate, then they definitely would get into it more.

Q: If you could play hockey professionally for the next 10 years, or be a doctor...?

A: If I could make enough money, I'd definitely play hockey. I'll play hockey as long as I can.

Q: Are you a thrill seeker? I know it's not too crazy, but did you jump in Mirror Lake?

A: Not this year. Last year we actually swam across Mirror Lake. Free style stroke.

Q: What's on your bucket list?

A: Skydiving. I'd be too afraid to die, but I'd like to do it. (laughs)

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